Spring Garden Show kicks off Friday

Published: Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 10:02 p.m.

The 19th annual Spring Garden Show will be held at the Western North Carolina Farmers Market in Asheville from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 26 and 27.

The show is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Horticulture Association, a nonprofit agricultural association that promotes the nursery industry in the Carolinas. Admission is free.

"Shady Characters" is a new vendor that specializes in complete shady garden plants and is owned and operated by Everette and Karen Jones from Aikins, S.C. Shady Characters has been featured on South Carolina's ETV show "Making it Grow." Also new this year is "Big Frog Nursery," a nursery that has hundreds of plants that grow in 1 to 15 gallon-size plants and trees.

"Gardeners have flocked by the thousands to find plants and trees that cannot be found at the local retail stores," said Evelyn Nichols with Blue Ridge Horticulture Association. "Many of the garden nursery growers have collections that have come from arboretums, private collectors, and these growers have propagated and grafted these plants and trees for the public."

In attendance will be Charles Street Gardens Iris Nursery, which grows about 60 varieties of Japanese Rises as well as a dozen or so selections of Native Blue Flags; Mountain Meadows Nursery, which has an extensive variety of unusual evergreens and dwarf conifers; Nichols Nursery (MrMaple.com), which specializes in Japanese maples with more than 1,000 varieties of maples; and Useful Plants, a permaculture-based nursery specializing in edible, medicinal and other useful plants. .

<p>The 19th annual Spring Garden Show will be held at the Western North Carolina Farmers Market in Asheville from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 26 and 27.</p><p>The show is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Horticulture Association, a nonprofit agricultural association that promotes the nursery industry in the Carolinas. Admission is free. </p><p>"Shady Characters" is a new vendor that specializes in complete shady garden plants and is owned and operated by Everette and Karen Jones from Aikins, S.C. Shady Characters has been featured on South Carolina's ETV show "Making it Grow." Also new this year is "Big Frog Nursery," a nursery that has hundreds of plants that grow in 1 to 15 gallon-size plants and trees. </p><p>"Gardeners have flocked by the thousands to find plants and trees that cannot be found at the local retail stores," said Evelyn Nichols with Blue Ridge Horticulture Association. "Many of the garden nursery growers have collections that have come from arboretums, private collectors, and these growers have propagated and grafted these plants and trees for the public." </p><p>In attendance will be Charles Street Gardens Iris Nursery, which grows about 60 varieties of Japanese Rises as well as a dozen or so selections of Native Blue Flags; Mountain Meadows Nursery, which has an extensive variety of unusual evergreens and dwarf conifers; Nichols Nursery (MrMaple.com), which specializes in Japanese maples with more than 1,000 varieties of maples; and Useful Plants, a permaculture-based nursery specializing in edible, medicinal and other useful plants. . </p><p>North Carolina Master Gardeners will also answer questions. Vendors will include Bluff Mountains Nursery, Barry Farms, and Sister Floribunda, Oliver Organics and Raindrop Ridge Nursery. Red Wing Nursery will have herb and vegetables starts. </p><p>Native plant growers like Carolina Wild and Green Tea Nursery will have annuals, perennials, rhododendron, mountain laurel, azaleas, hanging baskets and conifers. Other vendors on hand will be Appalachian Seed Farm, Appledore Nursery, A+ Nursery, Butterfly Perennials, Hawkins Nursery and Hidden Pines Nursery.</p>